[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (SSEU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]
π ππΈπππΌπ ππ:ππ
"So
he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and
scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his
beard."
Positively:
1.
David never thought highly of himself; he didn't mind being treated as a fool.
2.
David would do anything to survive; some people loved their honor and would
die.
3.
David didn't revolt against the anointed king.
Negatively:
1.
David lacked trust in God, for which he would confess and repent later on.
Well,
If I were David, I can't think of a better way than what he did. He was sinful,
but in this episode, I might even be more sinful than him. Whether we like it
or hate it, whether we can do better or worse, sin is sin!
Peter
denied Christ when he feared the guards. Peter sank when he feared the waves. Abraham
abandoned his wife Sarah when he feared Abimelech, so was Isaac. There's sin in
fear! May we be people of courage!
π ππΈπππΌπ ππ:ππ
"Then
the king said to Doeg, "You turn around and attack the priests." And
Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day
eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod."
Saul
dared to kill the priests of God. He massacred 85 people. Last time, Samuel
mentioned that Saul could kill him. This Saul is a blood-monger.
Not
surprising that people are attacking churches and preachers. How many churches,
even in the civilized west, Canada are burnt down this year? No surprise if
persecution, allegation, lynching come up anytime anywhere!
The
priest Ahimelech stood his ground, even when all his households were at stake.
How many will give up the Gospel if they [persecutors] threaten to kill their
children?
The
2016 movie, The Silence portrayed such scene. A priest was asked to deny
Christ or be dead. That was easy for him. But when the persecutors threatened
to torture and started to torture his people, he apostatized.
Ahimelech
stood his ground and all his family members up to 85 people were killed! Just
for David that also! Hmmm! Some things are worth suffering and sacrificing, and
dying for. Top among them is the Gospel! Oh! May I be found willing and ready
when the time comes!
π ππΈπππΌπ ππ:ππ
"’Will
the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your
servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.’ And the
LORD said, ‘He will come down.’"
I
still remember myself getting so fascinated with this story even when I was a
young boy reading my Bible. I had never heard it from anyone, but I read and
understood. Till today, I have never heard anyone preach a sermon from this
passage, nor have I read any exposition from anywhere. Well, it's a testimony
that God's word is alive and powerful that even a young boy could understand by
himself!
People
say Bible is boring to read because they don't understand. Well, I don't
understand why people say that. Sure, there are many things I can't make sense of
when I am in my daily reading, but I almost always see something striking. How
could Bible be boring!!!
All
this to say: read your Bible regularly. All your excuses are funny and shall
not vindicate you when you stand before its author. Having said that:
David
earnestly inquired God [always] in this episode. Mentioned at least 4 times.
God answered all of them; David didn't like anyone of them! π
God
commissioned him to fight for Keilah. He did, but he wasn't allowed to enjoy
the victory. Even the people of Keilah would deliver him to be executed. And
Saul was still doing everything to kill David, even when he has driven away from
their mutual enemies, Philistines.
God's
ways are mysterious, which WhatsApp post has no time and space to reflect upon
more!
π ππΈπππΌπ ππ:π
"Afterward
David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, "My lord
the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to
the earth and paid homage."
What
a list of contrast in this account of Saul and David.
And
David would humble himself before such man, and even debased himself to a dog,
oh dead dog, and to a flea (v14). Of course, he was talking about the
harmlessness as doves. But why not choose a dove over a dead dog?
I
struggle to respect a wicked man. I struggle to respect a foolish person. I
struggle to respect an incompetent person. Oh! I can go on, but let me not
disclose much of my vulnerability. πΆ
It's
something to learn from David. I was just listening to John Piper today, and he
defined humility in this way "looking at other people and regarding
them, whether they are or not, as worthy of your service." Wow! He got
that from Phil2:3-4.
Well,
David is that man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mR_U9rVwEc&t=496s
π ππΈπππΌπ ππ: ππ-ππ
"And
David said to Abigail, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you
this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who
have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own
hand!’"
I
don't like this story, but I like the demonstration of how God protected a man
of God from committing sins. My years are few, but I have seen the protection
of God in my life many times!
Last
night I was listening to Sinclair Ferguson. He said that you will not be able
to tell a difference between Peter and Judas on the night Jesus was betrayed
and denied by them. It's the intercession of Jesus that leads Peter to
repentance.
Spiritual
victory, standing firm, spiritual discipline, repentance are the blessings of
God. David Brainerd wrote in his journal many times that one of his struggles
of sins is spiritual pride!
David
must have been convicted heavily and deeply impressed by the approach of
Abigail, he ended up marrying her! It's God who lives our spiritual life. It's
we who live the life of the flesh (Galatians 2:20).
Even
all these regular WhatsApp Posts!
π ππΈπππΌπ ππ:ππ
"Behold,
as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in
the sight of the LORD, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation."
No
wonder Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Forgive us as we forgive
others."
If
David could be that merciful to a man like Saul, He knows God is better than
him. There are times when we swallow our anger, hold our peace, maintain our
composure; remember, God sees those and will reward you. If you being evil
can do that, why won't the righteous Father do much more? (Matt. 7:11)
For
every good deed we do, for every wrong thing we avoid, big or small, God sees
it. May we at least learn to say like David!
If
there's one thing we need to learn from David, it is how to pray. Look at how
many Psalms he wrote! Let's practice praying like that. But to pray like that,
we've got to do those acts of mercy, grace, goodness, etc.